The classical modern period, 1900-1945, saw a great deal of cultural change, and many different composers helped shape the musical landscape of the early 20th century. Browse our sheet music and scores, take a look at our Classical Modern Sheet Music Downloads, and explore the wide world of classical modernism with Stretta Music today
The horrors of World War I brought about such a shift in perspective, that art would never be the same again. The cultural and social changes that had already begun at the end of the 19th century led to new prospects, which were mirrored and expressed through various innovative artistic movements, them sum of which is called Classic Modernism.
During the 20th century, the boundaries of tonality were stretched so far that one could no longer speak of tonal music. The most striking examples of this are polytonality, employed by composers like Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, and Charles Ives, and to an even greater extent serialism, the twelve-tone music of Arnold Schönberg and his students.
The rise of nationalism in the late 19th century sparked a great interest in rediscovering folk music. New technical developments, such as the invention of the phonograph, also made it easier to document and collect folk music. Great folk Pioneers were the Romanian composer Béla Bartók, the Czech composer Leo Janáček, the Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály, and the Australian-American composer Percy Grainger.
This development led to a new idiom within classical music, both melodically and rhythmically. Good examples of the integration of folklore into classical modern music are the melodies from Janáček’s Jenufa, which are based on the rhythm and intonation of the Czech language, and Bartók’s Second Violin Rhapsody.
Expressionists aimed to capture true emotions without glossing over them. Above all, they looked at the subjective inner world, in contrast to the outer world, and left all traditional ideals of beauty behind.
Expressionist music is characterised by dissonance, extreme dynamics and great contrasts in colour, pitch and effect. In music, expressionism is generally associated with the Second Viennese School, founded by Arnold Schönberg and his students Anton Webern and Alban Berg, and the dodecaphonic, twelve-tone technique they used, known as serialism.
Examples of expressionist music include Schönberg’s Erwartung, 1909, and Berg’s Wozzeck, 1922.
Another classical modern departure from the ideals of the Romantic Period was to draw on forms and tropes of the Baroque Period and the Classical Period. This was expressed in the use of traditional musical forms, as in Martinů’s Concerto da Camara, 1937, the use of traditional instrumentation, as in Manuel de Falla’s Concerto for Harpsichord, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet & Cello, 1926, and also in the use of thematic material from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, 1920.
for: Mixed choir (2–5 parts) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 115289
for: Organ
Ensemble score
Item no.: 115237
for: Women's choir (SSA) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 115211
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 115034
for: Cello, Blasorchester
Study score
Item no.: 196682
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 114882
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 114879
for: Sopran-Blockflöte, Alt-Blockflöte
Stimme
Item no.: 883508
for: Frauenchor: SSAA
Choir score
Item no.: 880844
for: Piano
Stimme
Item no.: 871043
for: Alt-Blockflöte, Flöte
Stimme
Item no.: 870542
for: GES 3 INST KLAV (SCHLAGZ)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 307482
for: INST (1-3) (+ SCHLAGZ)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 307478
for: Accordion orchestra
Single part Accordion 2
Item no.: 208658
for: Salon orchestra
Piano part for conductor, Parts
Item no.: 309874
for: 2 violins, viola, cello
Set of parts
Item no.: 352914
for: gemischter Chor (SSSAATTTBB)
Chorpartitur
Item no.: 1545585
for: Chor unisono (Volksgesang) mit Orgel oder Orchester oder Blasorchester
Orchestermaterial
Item no.: 564758
for: mittlere Singstimme (od. 1stg. Chor) und 3 Instrumentalisten (Streicher od. Bläser)
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1545085
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 288836
for: gemischter Chor (SATB) mit Tenor-Solo und Orchester
Piano reduction
Item no.: 288770
for: Choir (1 voice), organ [concert band]
Bläserstimmensatz
Item no.: 1545220
for: Orchestra
Score
Item no.: 288724
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Study score
Item no.: 288568
for: String orchestra, brass winds
Study score
Item no.: 288493
for: Tuba, piano
Single part(n)
Item no.: 351511
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1106043
for: für Blockflötenquartett und Gitarre ad lib. Bassblockflöte/Gitarre
Single part
Item no.: 1135505
for: 2 violins, viola, cello (string quartet)
Set of parts
Item no.: 680749
for: für Klavier Leinengebunden. Die kartonierte Ausgabe ist lieferbar unter der Nummer UE17272KAR.
Item no.: 163358
for: Symphonic orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 680664
for: 2 BFL (SA) 2 VL BC
Score, Parts
Item no.: 409311
Item no.: 1135046
for: Violin, piano
Item no.: 189651
for: für Soli: Sopran, Alt, Tenor, Bass, Chor SATB, Orgel und Orchester Alt
Choir part
Item no.: 1135120
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 911745
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 358898
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1207023
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 361996
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 909411
for: Voice (medium), piano
Music score
Item no.: 907684
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 886423
for: Voice (high), piano
Music score
Item no.: 911824
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 911339
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 911061
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 910316
for: Piano
Item no.: 352220
for: gemischter Chor (STBar) und Instrumente
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 293591